Dry shaver

• US 8,011,102 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroaki, Sato, Masaaki, Komori, Shunsuke, Shiba, Takeshi, Iwasaki, Jyuzaemon
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI SIU CHOU
• Application Number:
  US11/952,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 30/439, 30/439.1, 30/439.2, 30/77, 30/81, 303/465.1, 30/342
• US Class Current: 30/43.92
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/046 Cutters being movable in the cutting head
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/10 involving two or more different types of reciprocating cutting elements, e.g. a pair of toothed shearing elements combined with a pair of perforated cutting elements or a combined toothed and perforated cutting assembly
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/384 Dry-shaver foils; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/42 providing for straightening the hair to be cut, e.g. by means of bristles; providing for tensioning the skin, e.g. by means of rollers, ledges skin-stretchers for shaving per se A45D27/38

Abstract

A dry shaver has an elongated shaving head with a lengthwise axis. The shaving head carries semi-cylindrical first and second outer cutters disposed on its opposite width ends, and a semi-cylindrical finishing cutter and a slit cutter interposed between the first and second outer cutters. The finishing cutter has a finishing foil which is deeply curved than a foil of the first and second outer cutters into an arcuate contour having a width less than that of the first and second outer cutters. The finishing foil disposed behind the first outer cutter comes into contact with a users skin to make closer shaving than the first and second cutters. A skin guard project between the first outer cutter and the finishing cutter to protect the skin from being pressed excessively to a side of the finishing foil when moving the shaving head across a user'"'"' skin with the first outer cutter leading in a moving direction, thereby reducing skin irritation.

Claims

1. A dry shaver comprising:

a shaving head which is elongated to have a lengthwise axis and a width axis, said shaving head being configured to carry a semi-cylindrical first outer cutter, a semi-cylindrical finishing cutter, and a semi-cylindrical second outer cutter which are all elongated along said lengthwise axis and are arranged in generally parallel relation with each other,

each of said first and second outer cutters comprising a main foil with a number of perforations and an inner cutter driven by a motor to move in sliding contact with said foil, said main foil being curved about an axis parallel with said lengthwise axis into an arcuate contour;

said finishing cutter comprising a finishing foil with a number of perforations and an inner cutter driven by said motor to move in sliding contact with said finishing foil, said finishing foil being curved about an axis parallel with said lengthwise axis into an arcuate contour having a less width than that of said main foil,

said first and second outer cutters being disposed on opposite width ends of said shaving head with said finishing cutter being interposed therebetween,

wherein said shaving head includes a first skin guard projecting between said finishing cutter and said first outer cutter for contact with a skin of a user,

wherein said shaving head carries a slit cutter interposed between said finishing cutter and said second outer cutter to define a second skin guard which blocks the skin from entering a recess between said finishing cutter and said second outer cutter,

said slit cutter comprising an elongated outer blade with a number of slits opened at lateral edges of said outer blade, and an inner cutter driven by said motor to move in sliding contact with said outer blade.

2. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said shaving head includes a frame configured to support said main foils, said finishing foil, and said outer blade.

3. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said finishing foil and said slit cutter are floatingly supported to said frame and is spring biased for pressed contact with the user'"'"'s skin.

4. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said finishing foil is spring-biased upwardly for pressed contact with the user'"'"'s skin, said first skin guard being coupled to said finishing foil to be movable together therewith.

5. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said first skin guard is configured to have a roller for rolling contact with the user'"'"'s skin.

6. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said first skin guard is configured to have a comb.

7. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said finishing cutter has its top projected by a greater extent than that of said slit cutter,

said slit cutter has its top end projected by a greater extent than that of the first outer cutter, and

said first skin guard between the finishing cutter and said first outer cutter projects to a height between the top end of said first outer cutter and the top end of said finishing cutter, and also at a level lower than the top end of said slit cutter.

8. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said outer blade of the slit cutter is floatingly supported to said frame and is coupled to said finishing foil by means of an adjustor spring so as to be urged from said finishing foil in a direction of being pressed against the user'"'"'s skin.

9. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said finishing foil is configured to have the perforations each surrounded partly by a thin section and partly by a thick section, said thin section defined by a recess formed in a top skin contacting surface of said finishing foil.

10. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said first skin guard is floatingly supported to said frame and is spring-biased for pressed contact with the user'"'"'s skin.

11. A dry shaver as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first skin guard is offset towards the finishing cutter so as not to interfere with the shaving operation of the first outer cutter.